Michigan Might Have Just Crushed One of Its Most Successful Industries
It may only be the beginning of a wider crackdown for the Wolverine State’s marijuana industry.
Today's Liberal News
This Issue Causes $1 Billion of Damage Each Year. Nobody Is Talking About It.
Next week’s rain might be the start of a sinkhole near you.
This Gross Practice Might Make Your Next Home Search Even More Annoying
Bot-made listings are forcing homebuyers and professionals to ask themselves if this is a straight-up deceptive practice.
Donald Trump’s Reaction to His New, Fawning Time Cover Tells Us One Thing for Absolutely Sure
“Deserves to be called out,” says the president of the United States about a fawning magazine cover.
Trump unveils IVF policies, but no new funding or coverage requirements
The moves, to lower the cost of a drug prescribed to women going through IVF and boost employer coverage, follow Trump’s campaign promise to make fertility care more accessible.
It’s ‘too late’ to extend ACA subsidies without major disruptions, some states and lawmakers say
States are worried Congress missed its opportunity to extend enhanced ACA subsidies and lower premiums before consumers start picking plans in a few weeks.
Hospital-at-home program collateral damage of the shutdown
The budget stalemate is forcing some hospitals to withdraw from a successful Medicare program that allows seriously ill patients to be treated at home.
HHS rehiring some people fired through reduction-in-force efforts
A Trump administration legal document said HHS initially targeted 1,000 to 1,200 employees for dismissal, and people speaking with POLITICO say the firings focused on the CDC.
‘Let Them Both Claim Victory’
The week began with a diplomatic breakthrough and a (fragile) cease-fire in a years-long war. It ends with another conflict stuck in a bloody, frustrating rut. Donald Trump has made it his mission to achieve peace in both. But the deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and return the last living Israeli hostages came about in part because Trump used his leverage to push both sides to make concessions.
Why an Out Queer Person in the Gay Liberation Days of the ’70s Would Go To Church
Troy Perry starts the gay/lesbian Metropolitan Community Church. A young lesbian is a regular at the San Francisco congregation when her friend gets sick.
How an LGBTQ+ Christian Church Faced AIDS in 1980s and ’90s San Francisco.
Rescued archival audio takes listeners into the heart of an LGBTQ+ church during the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s and ’90s San Francisco.
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
Trump’s approval holds steady despite unpopular policies, per new NYT poll
Trump’s strength with Republicans on the economy could prove to be a boon for the GOP.
New poll reveals warning signs for Trump with Latino voters
A survey from the liberal-leaning group Somos Votantes shows Latino voters are souring on the president.
Trump is selling a strong economy. Voters aren’t buying it.
Privately, aides concede voters remain uneasy about prices but argue their policies are beginning to turn things around.
“No Kings. No Thrones. No Crowns.”: Millions to Protest Saturday in 1000s of Cities, Towns Nationwide
Even as President Trump has cracked down on dissent and sent troops into multiple cities, organizers of Saturday’s anti-authoritarian “No Kings” protests expect millions to join at least 2,500 rallies across all 50 states and several U.S. territories. The turnout could surpass the 5 million protesters who turned out for “No Kings Day” events in June.
“Cold-Blooded Murder”: David Cole on Trump’s Boat Attacks & CIA Covert Action in Venezuela
There are growing questions over the legality of U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. “These are sitting ducks, and we are simply engaged in cold-blooded murder of individuals who may or may not be drug smugglers,” says David Cole, professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. Cole says that President Trump is “committing homicide” by killing people without trial.
“Israeli Sadism in a Nutshell”: Amira Hass on Israeli Prisons, Settler Violence & Gaza Ceasefire
Just days after the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect, President Trump has issued new threats against Hamas, saying Thursday the United States would back a military intervention against the group if it fails to uphold the ceasefire agreement.
“There is the fear all the time that the war will be renewed,” says Amira Hass, Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who joins us from Ramallah.
Walkout: Top U.S. Media, Including Conservative Outlets, Reject New Pentagon Press Restrictions
The Department of Defense has introduced a new press policy requiring the Pentagon to authorize any reporting on itself. Top TV news outlets have rejected the pledge; only the far-right outlet One America News has agreed to sign on. Dozens of reporters with the Pentagon Press Association turned in their government-issued press badges and left the building Wednesday rather than agree to the rules.
Photos: More ‘No Kings’ Protests Across the U.S.
Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty
A person dressed in a Statue of Liberty costume participates in a “No Kings” national day of protest in New York on October 18, 2025.Alyssa Pointer / Reuters
People attend a “No Kings” protest against American President Donald Trump’s policies, in Atlanta on October 18, 2025.Alyssa Pointer / Reuters
A person looks on during the “No Kings” protest in Atlanta on October 18, 2025.
D’Angelo Conjured More Than Music
When I was a kid, living in Lawrenceville, Virginia, I heard tales about how the James River was haunted: perhaps by the spirits of Indigenous people who were forced off this land, or maybe by those who gave their lives to revolution, or maybe by enslaved men, women, and children who drowned while trying to escape their plantations. The ghost stories seemed to suit a river that’s connected to America’s soul.
These Photographs Are Not What They Seem
This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning.
One of my favorite moments of elementary-school science class was “microscope day,” a version of show-and-tell where kids brought in everyday objects to marvel at under the lens.
Meet the man who built RFK Jr.’s kitchen cabinet
Jeffrey Tucker, who elevated Covid contrarians now working for the health secretary, is building support for Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Resistance Is Cringe
After Donald Trump’s win in 2024, commentators declared the so-called Resistance “dead” and “futile.” The opposition movement against Trump had been embarrassing, ineffective, a performative failure that did nothing “besides making the #Resisters feel good about themselves.” With the country now nine months into Trump’s second term, though, reports of the death of the Resistance turn out to have been exaggerated. The movement looks different than it did the last time around.
Where Are the Credit Cockroaches Hiding?
Are the “cockroaches” Jamie Dimon spoke of really a private credit problem or are they a bit closer to home?
Donald Trump’s Reaction to His New, Fawning Time Cover Tells Us One Thing for Absolutely Sure
“Deserves to be called out,” says the president of the United States about a fawning magazine cover.
How Dr. Phil Blew It
When he signed off his talk show in 2023, he pivoted to MAGA politics. It’s not working so well for him.
Trump unveils IVF policies, but no new funding or coverage requirements
The moves, to lower the cost of a drug prescribed to women going through IVF and boost employer coverage, follow Trump’s campaign promise to make fertility care more accessible.